Posted on 08/03/2012 9:39:54 AM PDT by Palmetto Patriot
If Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and National Republican Senatorial Committee chief John Cornyn were keeping score at home, they probably weren't too worried about Tuesday's Senate runoff in Texas. Either way, the seat was likely to remain in Republican hands. But conservatives had a pickup opportunity, and with Ted Cruz's victory they seized it.
The incumbent, Kay Bailey Hutchison, and the Rick Perry-endorsed establishment favorite, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, weren't exactly liberals. But they weren't boat-rocking government-cutters either. The Tea Party-backed Cruz promised he would be.
To put it another way, McConnell's numbers in his quest to gain a GOP majority were unchanged while Jim DeMint received reinforcements. As the Washington Post noted, "Cruz's primary win virtually ensures that DeMint will have another constitutional conservative ally in the upper chamber during the next Congress."
DeMint, Rand Paul, and Mike Lee have all been pressuring Senate Republicans from the right to get government spending under control. Wisconsin Tea Party favorite Ron Johnson, former Club for Growth head Pat Toomey, and Tom Coburn are frequent allies. Adding Cruz to their ranks gives them another vote, as well as an articulate spokesman for free markets and fiscal restraint.
(Excerpt) Read more at spectator.org ...
Unfortunately, we lost some ground with Booby Hatch and the Mitt Witt, but we are undeniably making progress!
The direction is the key. We need a strong Conservative/Tea Party Caucus in both Houses.
The "Go Along to Get Along" Caucus will see which way the wind blows (see Hatch, Romney, etc.) and trend our way.
We need to support Tea Party candidates in the upcoming primaries.
I'm taking my direction from Jim DeMint, and the Senate Conservatives Fund.
And don’t forget the forced retirement of Richard Lugar. Mourdock is definitely an upgrade.
Absolutely.
The GOPe is vulnerable in the primary process. If we are going to move this country toward Conservatism, the primary process is our path.
-PJ
You are so right. The downline races are really the only ones worth voting on this year, and they must be as conservative as we can possibly get them. A Tea Party (even if just “leaning”) congress is pretty much our last hope.
With a strong Tea Party Caucus in the Senate, that is exactly what we will get.
Just a thought, but how does Senate Majority Leader Jim DeMint sound to you?
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